Unmanned aircraft, information processing method, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11928974-B2
Application number	US-202117231679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2021
Priority date	Feb 19, 2019
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

An unmanned aircraft includes: a sensor that includes at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines quality of a target sound using the sound data generated by the microphone, obtains a positional relationship between the unmanned aircraft and a sound source of the target sound using data generated by the sensor, and controls movement of the unmanned aircraft to control a distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source of the target sound, in accordance with the quality of the target sound and the positional relationship.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An unmanned aircraft, comprising:
a sensor that includes at least a microphone that generates sound data by picking up sound; and
a processor,
wherein the processor
determines sound recording quality of a target sound obtained using the sound data generated by the microphone,
obtains a positional relationship between the unmanned aircraft and a sound source of the target sound using data generated by the sensor,
controls movement of the unmanned aircraft to control a distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source of the target sound, in accordance with the sound recording quality of the target sound and the positional relationship,
the processor further obtains distance information indicating a predetermined distance from the sound source, and
when causing the unmanned aircraft to approach the sound source, the processor causes the unmanned aircraft to move in accordance with the distance information and the positional relationship so that the unmanned aircraft does not approach any closer to the sound source than a safety position at the predetermined distance from the sound source,
if it is determined in the determination that a quality of a first target sound obtained by using first sound data generated as the sound data by the microphone of the unmanned aircraft which has been moved closer to a first safety position is higher than a predetermined goal quality when the processor has caused the unmanned aircraft to move to approach closer to the sound source to the first safety position, as the safety position, which is away from the sound source by the predetermined distance, the processor further causes the unmanned aircraft to move to a second safety position, wherein a quality of a second target sound is equivalent to the goal quality, the quality of the second target sound being obtained by using second sound data which is generated as the sound data by the microphone of the unmanned aircraft at the second safety position,
a positon of the unmanned aircraft in a height direction included in the first safety position is higher than a position of the sound source in the height direction,
a positon of the unmanned aircraft in the height direction included in the second safety position is lower than the position of the unmanned aircraft included in the first safety position and the second safety position is away from the sound source by the predetermined distance, and
in the movement of the unmanned aircraft to the second safety position, the processor causes the unmanned aircraft to move from the first safety position to the second safety position along a semicircle having a radius of the predetermined distance centered at a position of the sound source, so that the unmanned aircraft is moved in a direction in which the position of the unmanned aircraft in the height direction approaches to the ground and the unmanned aircraft goes away from the sound source in a horizontal direction of the unmanned aircraft.

2. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 ,
wherein when it is determined in the determination that the quality of the target sound is lower than the goal quality, the processor causes the unmanned aircraft to move to approach the sound source.

3. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an actuator that changes at least one of an orientation of the microphone relative to the unmanned aircraft or an amount of outward projection of the microphone from the unmanned aircraft,
wherein if the quality of the first target sound is lower than the goal quality when the processor has moved the unmanned aircraft in accordance with the distance information and the positional relationship to cause the unmanned aircraft to move, to approach the sound source, to the first safety position, the processor causes the actuator to change at least one of (i) the orientation of the microphone to be directed to the sound source or (ii) the amount of outward projection of the microphone from the unmanned aircraft so that the microphone is closer to the sound source.

4. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the determination, the processor calculates a signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio using the target sound and noise related to flight of the unmanned aircraft, as an indicator for determining the quality.

5. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 4 ,
wherein the processor
further obtains a goal S/N ratio precalculated using the noise related to actuation of the motor in the flight of the unmanned aircraft, as the predetermined goal quality, and
determines the quality of the target sound by comparing the goal S/N ratio obtained and the S/N ratio calculated.

6. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor further includes an image sensor that generates image data, and
the processor obtains the positional relationship using the image data generated by the image sensor.

7. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor further includes a ranging sensor that generates ranging data, and
the processor obtains the positional relationship using the ranging data generated by the ranging sensor.

8. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor determines a goal distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source in accordance with the quality of the target sound, the positional relationship, and the goal quality, and controls the movement of the unmanned aircraft to achieve the goal distance.

9. The unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 ,
wherein the positional relationship is at least one of (i) the distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source, (ii) a position of the sound source with respect to the unmanned aircraft, or (iii) a direction from the unmanned aircraft to the sound source.

10. An information processing method performed by a processor included in an unmanned aircraft, the unmanned aircraft including the processor and a sensor, the sensor including at least a microphone that generates sound data by picking up sound, the information processing method comprising:
determining sound recording quality of a target sound obtained using the sound data generated by the microphone;
obtaining a positional relationship between the unmanned aircraft and a sound source of the target sound using data generated by the sensor;
controlling movement of the unmanned aircraft to control a distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source of the target sound, in accordance with the quality of the target sound and the positional relationship, and
obtaining distance information indicating a predetermined distance from the sound source, and
when causing the unmanned aircraft to approach the sound source, the processor causes the unmanned aircraft to move in accordance with the distance information and the positional relationship so that the unmanned aircraft does not approach any closer to the sound source than a safety position at the predetermined distance from the sound source,
if it is determined in the determining that a quality of a first target sound obtained by using first sound data generated as the sound data by the microphone of the unmanned aircraft which has been moved closer to a first safety position is higher than a predetermined goal quality when the processor has caused the unmanned aircraft to move to approach closer to the sound source to the first safety position, as the safety position, which is away from the sound source by the predetermined distance, the processor further causing the unmanned aircraft to move to a second safety position, wherein a quality of a second target sound is equivalent to the goal quality, the quality

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• John Stephen William
• Konishi Kazunobu
• Asai Katsuhiko
• Inoue Kazuo
• Kuhara Shunsuke

Classifications

• B64D31/06

  actuated automatically · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title

• B64D45/00 Primary

  Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title